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Sous Vide Home use

8K views 87 replies 11 participants last post by  chefbillyb 
#1 ·
Hi I bought water oven for home use. I would love to hear any good tips or ideas for home cooking. We raise our own Black Angus beef, pigs and chickens. I plan on doing a lot of braising.............Any ideas will be appreciated............thx.........Chefbillyb
 
#3 ·
Al, I think you have a 5 year head start, thx, I would love to hear your ideas.......this is what I have coming in soon...
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[h2]Order Summary[/h2]
SKUProduct NameEditionQtyUnit PriceExtra Disc.Price
SVD-00101SousVide Supreme Demi - Blacknorth america1$329.00$0.00$329.00
SVV-00104Vacuum Seal Bags 2-Pack Quart/Gallonnorth america1$18.99$0.00$18.99
SVV-00200Vacuum Sealernorth america1$129.00$129.00$0.00
The following Promotions were applied to this order:
  • Black Friday 2013
Savings:$129.00
Subtotal:$347.99
Shipping:$0.00
TOTAL:$347.99 USD
Paid by Visa($347.99) USD
 
#4 ·
Wow, that is a great deal! So I have the full sized model, I am not sure how the volumn of the Demi will/won't affect any recipes.

When I started with this there were several really good (and free) reasources on the web. Blogs and such. Many of these seem to have gone by the boards, or the authers landed book deals (bye bye free content).

The sousvide supreme home site does have a lot good recipes as well as advice and tips.

I will throw out a couple of things you might find useful. And probably more latter, as I think of them.

Some foods are going to float as they cook, even with the racks. You might have to weight the rack by inserting something like a plate or pot lid to hold it down. Some items, like a pork belly, wich will be too big for the rack anyway, I like to vac seal, then vac seal that package with a heavy weight inbetween.

The 64 degree egg is probably the most famous sousvide application. I have found blanching the egg in boiling water for two minutes then transfering to the water bath is the best way to go. Helps to barely set the first milimeter of white.

The type of vac sealer you have will not do liquids. If you want to do poach or braise type applications a couple of options. You can use gelatine to set a sauce or cooking liquid so it can be bagged with a piece of meat. Obviously demi or glace will work great for this. Hard reductions with butter mounted into them, and cooled work really well to.

I also will use glass tupperware type containers will liquids in them. Wrap the top with microwave safe plastic wrap, then vac bag.

I usually save the fat from cooled veal stock and keep them in the freezer. If you are doing steak, vac seal the beef with a hunk of this fat. Reinforce that flavour!

Another thing about steak. While you dont really need to rest a steak, as you normally would do, you might want to for the sake of colour. Right out of the bag meat will look muted and sort of flat, in a grey way. Let the air at and the redness will pop very quickly.

Al
 
#5 ·
Al, thanks for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it. They had the special giving the sealer for free with the oven. I have a better sealer that holds liquid. I'm looking forward to braising, I have so many cuts of meat from all of our animals. The oven s/b coming in today, I'll have more question when I start the process.............Thanks again........Bill
 
#7 ·
I actually used this machine in my first restaurant, and now it has moved into my home. i absolutely love it and still use it frequently. mine is in celcious one of my favorites is any tough bit of port 48 hours at 65 degrees well seared and seasoned for perfect pulle pork, the eggs mentioned above. i would reccomend grabbing thomas kellers under pressure book . it has a lot of great philosiphy and guidelines for sous vide cooking. im a bit braindead right now but if i can help the line is also always open, 
 
#8 ·
Al and PC, thx for the help, I'll be back asking for more...........PC, is 48 hrs like 24 in America.........65 degrees Celsius = 149 degrees Fahrenheit.......I don't know what I'm doing in the next 5 minutes, never mind 48 hrs,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,thx guys............Bill
 
#9 ·
HI,

I think you've done a great investment.  I have a Sous Vide Professional and use it quite a bit.  i love poaching eggs in it,  depends how runny you like your eggs, i cook my eggs at 144.5 F and I poach it with the shell for an hour.  lately made a 1Kg or 2.2Lb chateaubriand.  I seared it twice, once before i vacuum sealed it, but just for flavour and then after i cooked it sous vide for 2 hours at 126.5 F.  I made a mistake not letting it rest enough.  After searing it and letting it rest for around 20 Min, i slice it then put back some of the slices in the pan to get a few slices to medium well for some friends who don't eat it rare.  only takes a few minutes.  Probably the most tender Medium well steaks they've ever had.

Also great to cook Veggies to perfection.  You can find a lot of Sous Vide recipes on line and quite a few You Tube Videos.  

Good Luck and Happy Adventures!
 
#11 ·
Thats the thing. if i know im smashed for the weekend i look in the frezer and i typically buy in a bit more pork etc than i need i know i can throw some pork in friday before work and forget about it until im home sunday recovering from a hangover and have amazing pulled pork 
 
#12 ·
I have two SVS models (the largest one and a Demi) and a light commercial chamber vacuum machine at home.  I bought them shortly after they came out.  Most weeks I cook in them maybe 5 nights out of 7!  Eggs has to be one of the best "killer apps" for the SVS.  It's also great in conjunction with a smoker.  Often I'll smoke baby backs til they're about 85% of the doneness I like then sous vide them overnight at 145.  Works great!  Another thing I like to do is beef brisket @ 130 F for about three days.  That's one reason I have two units, so I can run long cooks in one and still have another set up for other stuff.  It's very common in my house to have both running at once.  Really one of my favorite things to sous vide is hamburgers!  I hate to even eat on that hasn't been cooked sous vide.  It's also a great way to do chicken breasts.
 
#13 ·
I have two SVS models (the largest one and a Demi) and a light commercial chamber vacuum machine at home. I bought them shortly after they came out. Most weeks I cook in them maybe 5 nights out of 7! Eggs has to be one of the best "killer apps" for the SVS. It's also great in conjunction with a smoker. Often I'll smoke baby backs til they're about 85% of the doneness I like then sous vide them overnight at 145. Works great! Another thing I like to do is beef brisket @ 130 F for about three days. That's one reason I have two units, so I can run long cooks in one and still have another set up for other stuff. It's very common in my house to have both running at once. Really one of my favorite things to sous vide is hamburgers! I hate to even eat on that hasn't been cooked sous vide. It's also a great way to do chicken breasts.
Thxs, sounds great. I was on the phone with my wife while reading your post, I told her about the way you make the brisket, she said take one out NOW.....I have some many cuts of me from the Chuck, 150 lbs of lean hamburger, you name it we have. We just had another 7 piglets..........I'm looking forward to starting the process..........thxs again............Bill
 
#14 ·
The brisket is really awesome to me...fork tender but still medium rare. Can't do that any other way except sous vide. IIRC Keller does a steak frites that way, sous vide the brisket then slice it, dredge in flour and sautee it.
 
#15 ·
The brisket is really awesome to me...fork tender but still medium rare. Can't do that any other way except sous vide. IIRC Keller does a steak frites that way, sous vide the brisket then slice it, dredge in flour and sautee it.
Do you salt when you cook low and slow ???? I'm worried that the salt will draw out the juices and the meat will be a bit dry. I would also figure it would depend on how lean the brisket is. All my beef is on the leaner side, I hang and dry age my meat for about 28 days, then cut and wrap................Thx Bill
 
#17 ·
Do you salt when you cook low and slow ???? I'm worried that the salt will draw out the juices and the meat will be a bit dry. I would also figure it would depend on how lean the brisket is. All my beef is on the leaner side, I hang and dry age my meat for about 28 days, then cut and wrap................Thx Bill
No, I avoid salt when doing very long cooks as it does draw out moisture. Also extra virgin olive oil and raw garlic don't work well for long cooks. You have to make a few other adjustments from time to time as well. For instance, if you're cooking with alcohol you have to flame it pretty good before you seal it since the alcohol has nowhere to go in a sealed bag. Not everything is a good candidate, either. You'll find that chicken is great sous vide but you can never really get the skin crisp after you've cooked it an a pouch for five hours.

As a very generalized rule with meats the best method is to sear, sous vide then sear again. By doing this you get the Maillard components in the bag during the whole cooking, then the last sear give you the texture you want. Zero delta T cooking will give you a very uniform edge to edge doneness but not the crust- for that you need high heat.

There's generally not much point to doing meat over 149-ish, either. You start of denature some proteins but overcoagulate others at higher temps, and if you're gonna use high why use a water bath? Certain things are very different done this way. Maybe not better or worse, just different. For example look at short ribs. At 149 degrees you'll never render it to get the gelatin and the tough parts of connective tissue will never break down. Without the gelatin you don't get that lip smacking fatty juiciness. Of course, if you trim them right you can get the meat tender while leaving it medium rare. It takes some experimenting to get an effect you like. I can't say that sous vide is ideal for really fatty meats (some pork ribs, etc) because the fat never "renders" for lack of the correct term. It just becomes hot jiggly fat. Kind of like rare prime rib. I like my steaks rare but rare rib roast makes me queasy (the fat that is).

Eggs are amazing when cooked sv. I really like 156 F for the yolks and 165 F for the whites. The best eggs I've ever made (NOTE: not the simplest or fastest, the best!) were done by making purses of them. Get a 3oz rammie and line it with a bit of cling wrap. Hit it with a bit of pan spray, then crack the egg into and tie it shut. Dip the purse in water about the temp you'd poach an egg in (around 175-ish) for a couple minutes to get the white set, then transfer to the water oven set and 156. It will take around 45 minutes but the effect is sublime. A little trial and effort is needed for this but it's awesome.
 
#18 ·
BTW, the most sublime turnip I've ever tasted was one I sliced, sealed with butter, S&P and cooked for 50 minutes at 185 F.  It was amazing!
 
#19 ·
No, I avoid salt when doing very long cooks as it does draw out moisture. Also extra virgin olive oil and raw garlic don't work well for long cooks. You have to make a few other adjustments from time to time as well. For instance, if you're cooking with alcohol you have to flame it pretty good before you seal it since the alcohol has nowhere to go in a sealed bag. Not everything is a good candidate, either. You'll find that chicken is great sous vide but you can never really get the skin crisp after you've cooked it an a pouch for five hours.

As a very generalized rule with meats the best method is to sear, sous vide then sear again. By doing this you get the Maillard components in the bag during the whole cooking, then the last sear give you the texture you want. Zero delta T cooking will give you a very uniform edge to edge doneness but not the crust- for that you need high heat.

There's generally not much point to doing meat over 149-ish, either. You start of denature some proteins but overcoagulate others at higher temps, and if you're gonna use high why use a water bath? Certain things are very different done this way. Maybe not better or worse, just different. For example look at short ribs. At 149 degrees you'll never render it to get the gelatin and the tough parts of connective tissue will never break down. Without the gelatin you don't get that lip smacking fatty juiciness. Of course, if you trim them right you can get the meat tender while leaving it medium rare. It takes some experimenting to get an effect you like. I can't say that sous vide is ideal for really fatty meats (some pork ribs, etc) because the fat never "renders" for lack of the correct term. It just becomes hot jiggly fat. Kind of like rare prime rib. I like my steaks rare but rare rib roast makes me queasy (the fat that is).

Eggs are amazing when cooked sv. I really like 156 F for the yolks and 165 F for the whites. The best eggs I've ever made (NOTE: not the simplest or fastest, the best!) were done by making purses of them. Get a 3oz rammie and line it with a bit of cling wrap. Hit it with a bit of pan spray, then crack the egg into and tie it shut. Dip the purse in water about the temp you'd poach an egg in (around 175-ish) for a couple minutes to get the white set, then transfer to the water oven set and 156. It will take around 45 minutes but the effect is sublime. A little trial and effort is needed for this but it's awesome.
I'm more of a MR to Rare meat guy, but, I get what you mean about the uncooked fat. I think Prime Rib is a great example of what uncooked fat tastes like and feels like in your mouth. I guess that's why tenderloin or center cut prime rib works better for this method . You post has given me a good understanding of what Sous Vide really does. I understand it may not be a better method of cooking in some cases. What I do get is, it gets a more intense flavor out of the foods your cooking. In your next post you said the turnip was the best you ever had, it looks like you did the turnip a true justice in the way it was cooked. Thanks for taking the time, you helped me understand that all meat s/b looked at for size and fat content, to understand what the finished product will look and taste like. I also see the advantage of searing would do to add to the flavor of the cooking process. I'm looking forward to starting the process, thanks for the help................Bill
 
#20 ·
Huh, I personally really like the effect of long cooks on fattier cuts of meat, for exactly the reasons you cite as negative. Themfat remains intact and softens, turns a lovely translucent and incrediblely tender and soft in the mouth. I dont find this unpleasent at all, rather kind fascinating as its a way of serving fat you cant get through any other method. Mind you my tollerance for animal fats is pretty high and I know that many of use are predisposed to disliking the presence of anything other than liquid fat in the mouth.

Al
 
#23 ·
Chuck is easy to get a great result sous vide. Seam it out, denude, brine for a bit, bag with a beef-esque liquid. Initial temp should be 133f for 12hrs than raise to 178 for an additional 24. On longer cooks we avoid reverse searing as it can become an overwhelming flavor.

White vegetables in particular lend well to sous vide especially if you're looking to maintain a stark white appearance.

It's a tool. Understand the benefits and where it's application is going to improve the end result and also understand where it may not improve it.
 
#24 ·
Huh, I personally really like the effect of long cooks on fattier cuts of meat, for exactly the reasons you cite as negative. Themfat remains intact and softens, turns a lovely translucent and incrediblely tender and soft in the mouth. I dont find this unpleasent at all, rather kind fascinating as its a way of serving fat you cant get through any other method. Mind you my tollerance for animal fats is pretty high and I know that many of use are predisposed to disliking the presence of anything other than liquid fat in the mouth.

Al
While I don't really disagree with you it's complicated for me, more so than I can easily address in a post. Sometimes I like the long cooking of fat and I really love fat! But the fat plug in a prime rib roast can make me queasy, too. There's a fine line between succulent and greasy sometimes. Beef fat is often quite nice that way, but sometimes pork fat can be a bit too much. For the most part I don't disagree with what you said.

The one thing that sv doesn't do though is deal with the very tough connective tissues. If you do short ribs @ 135 even as long as three days the connective tissue with still be leathery.

I do wholeheartedly agree with you about getting effects unobtainable in any other way. It just takes trial and error to see what you personally like best.
 
#25 ·
Sous vide does sometimes let the cooking method "get out of the way" and reveal the taste of a food. But it's no magic bullet. One thing it won't do is concentrate flavors through reduction like roasting or sometimes braising does.
 
#26 ·
I've seen the 64 C egg at so many places, and have never cared for it. I've done the plastic wrap poached eggs in the combi oven, in a steamer, in a pressure cooker, in simmering water, and in a circulator. I never blanched the egg before placing in the circulator, I'll get on that. I feel that I found the perfect method though. I do my eggs at 75 C. Soft but fully cooked white and totally liquid yolk. Awesome for benedicts, my customers get a kick out of it.

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